3 Sep 10 6:08 PM

We have just returned from the UK and are raising lots of plants from seed for our new garden. I know we accumulated lots of small pots over the years in the UK which we had to leave behind and I wond......read more

24 Feb 10 9:17 PM

Does anyone in the Chch area have any large (at least 15cm deep) pots they wish to get rid of? We have just returned to the Chch area to live and have no old pots at all but were unable to resist buyi......read more

24 Feb 10 9:11 PM

I kept the water content of my worm farm down by adding ripped up cardboard on a regular basis. This seemed to make the whole process work better....read more

1 Dec 09 2:08 AM

I added loads of coffee grounds to my garden (with no worries about the acidity as we were on chalk) but, despite my fervant hopes, the slugs and snails did not seem aware that this would discourage......read more

1 Dec 09 1:59 AM

I hope you did not get discouraged by the lack of replies! I grew Pinocchio's Nose chillis this past (northern) summer and I didn't pluck out the laterals. The plants were only about 35cms tall though......read more

1 Dec 09 1:52 AM

I always added mine to my compost heap without any ill effects. I also used to put some in the oven after cooking (using the leftover heat) and crush the dried results and add them to my wormery. When......read more

1 Dec 09 1:44 AM

I make tomato sauce with mine using my grandmother's recipe. Great with fish and chips, sausages, under cheese on toast, with scambled eggs et c. I have to make 3 or 4 times more than we use as variou......read more

11 Nov 09 11:39 PM

Sorry it took so long to reply. The best keeper's according to my Dad are apparently Queensland Blue - a grey skinned (to my eyes) pumpkin. He is not sure what variety the orange skinned ones he grows......read more

23 Oct 09 5:39 PM

My Dad grows them in Chch and the best ones seem to grow in the compost bed from seed disposed of in previous years. I can't recall the types he grows but the ones he keeps longest are the grey ones. ......read more

23 Oct 09 5:35 PM

I am not sure about hydroponics. I read once that home grown tomatoes develop a concentrated flavour because they don't have all the water available that commercially pampered ones do. If that is true......read more

23 Oct 09 5:31 PM

Re Greg Y. :-) If they are anything like our cat's I would think that is possibly the only fit use for it. I reckon burying it in some non food producing area (deeply) is the best use of cat/dog poo....read more

11 Sep 09 6:04 PM

Well, the way I feel about broad beans, you are doing it exactly right. Flowers, bees and no pods sounds ideal to me. :-) It does seem a bit early in the season to be worrying. I found this though htt......read more

11 Sep 09 6:00 PM

What potting mix are you using? I use a mix of leaf mould rotted down with comfrey leaves, some sieved compost and soil. I normally water the mix once it is in the pots and then sew the seeds once it ......read more